Device for shuffling playing cards



April 1955 D. E. NEWCOMB 2,705,638 DEVICE FOR SHUFFLING PLAYING CARDS Filed June 12, 1950,

2 Sheets-Sheet l l; i ////9*y Daniel E. Newcomb INVENTOR.

WW EM April 1955 D. E. NEWCOMB 15,705,638

DEVICE FOR SHUFFL/ING PLAYING CARDS Filed June 12, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Daniel E. Newcamb INVENTOR.

Mafia; BY nip away fi augg United States Patent DEVICE FOR SHUFFLING PLAYING CARDS Daniel E. Newcomb, Monte Vista, Colo.

Application June 12, 1950, Serial No. 167,583

1 Claim. (Cl. 273-149) This invention comprises novel and useful improvements in a method and device for shufilng cards and while the same may be applied to shufliing simultaneously a deck of cards consisting of one or several packs of standard playing cards, the device has been illustrated as applied to and is particularly adapted for the shufiling of a deck consisting of two standard packs of cards such as is employed in a game of canasta.

In games employing a plurality of standard packs of cards as for example in a game of canasta, and to a lesser extent in games involving a single pack of cards, there has been heretofore considerable delay and even difli culty, especially among feminine players, inexperienced players and those having relatively physically weak hands, in flexing and shufiing the deck, and in securing a satisfactory or adequate mixing and shufilng of the cards.

Moreover, in certain types of games such as canasta and the like which employ two or more standard packs of cards, the deck consists of a sutficient number of cards to render the same extremely bulky and awkward to handle for certain players, difficult to flex, and substantially impossible at one shuffle of the cards to obtain a satisfactory mixing or shutllng to permit immediate and satisfactory use of the deck for play of the next game. Consequently it has become the practice among certain players to divide a deck into several parts and individual players shuille the various parts; or to shufile the deck a number of times in order to attempt to satisfactorily mix the cards. As will be readily apparent, these methods are not wholly satisfactory since when the sections of the deck are separated, the cards within the section may be well shuffied While the cards between the sections will have relatively little or no mixing act-ion. Further, the shufiling of a large deck several times is relatively time consummg.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a method and a device whereby various sizes of decks of playing cards may be quickly, easily and efiiciently mixed during a single shufiling operation, and that by any of the foregoing classes of players.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shufliing device and a method which shall be equally and readily applicable to decks of different sizes, of from one to several standard packs of playing cards, for thoroughly gndkadequately mixing the same upon one shuflle of the Yet another important object of the invention is to provide a shuffling device which shall be of a very simple and compact nature, of inexpensive and lightweight construction, yet specifically adapted for and highly eificient in its intended purposes.

And a final important object of the invention is to provide a shuffling device in conformity with the foregoing objects which shall be of an attractive appearance, readily converted for use with different sized decks of cards and which shall not require any considerable amount of time to enable the user to become proficient in employing the same, and which shall not be time consuming in its use.

These, together with various ancillary features and objects of the invention, which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by the present invention and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing, solely as an exemplification of the principles of this invention, one satisfactory embodiment of shufliing device in accord 2,705,638 Patented Apr. 5, 1955 ance therewith, the same being shown :in perspective and with the shufiling device in its opened position;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the shufliing device of F igure 1, the same being shown in closed position, a pair of adapter inserts to enable the device to shuflie a single pack of playing cards being shown therein in proper position, and the hinging member of the device being indicated in dotted lines therein;

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 33 of Figure 2, the device being shown without the adapter inserts;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the device in its closed position, a deck of two packs of playing cards being shown therein and the first step of the method and act of shufliing the cards being illustrated;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the device in its open position, the two sections of the deck being now divided and each received in one portion of the device ready for the next step of the shuffling operation;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure .5 but showing the next step in the operation of the device, with the sections being slightly closed upon each other to cause the interlacing of the adjacent lower edges of the successive cards in the two sections of the deck;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 but showing the completion of the shufiling operation with the shuffling device in its closed position and the cards of the deck interlaced with each other;

Figure 8 is a plan view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by thevsection line 8-8 of Figure 5 and illustrating more clearly the relative positions of the two sections of the deck of cards when the same have been separated from each other by opening of the device; and

Figures 9 and 10 are perspective views of forms of adapter inserts which may be respectively employed to modify the capacity of a shufiiing device by reducing the size of the deck which the same can shufile by one or two standard packs respectively.

Reference is now made more particularly to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views. As illustrated in Figure 1, it will be seen that the shufiling device which incorporates therein the principles of this invention, is of a box-like shape comprising a bottom divided transversely of its length to provide a pair of sections 10, 10 which are hinged together by a recessed hinge 12 to be referred to more specifically hereinafter, and which are further provided with vertically upstanding end walls 14 and each section having a relatively short side wall 16 and a relatively long side wall 18.

As will be readily seen from a comparison of Figures 1 and 2, when the device is in its closed position, that is with the two bottom wall sections 10 disposed in flush, planar relationship and with their adjacent edges abutting each other as clearly shown in Figure 3, it will be seen that the side wall sections 16 and 18 form a continuation of each other, meeting along the vertically extending edges 20. These edges are disposed intermediate the ends of each of the bottom sections 10 so that the vertical edges or joints 20 are staggered with respect to each other so that one side wall consisting of the sections 16 and 18 is identical with but in reversed. position relative to the other side wall having the sections 16 and 18. While the section 16 extends substantially to the midportion of one of the bottom sections 10, it will be seen that the longer wall section 18 extends the entire length of the bottom section 10 and to substantially the mid-portion of the adjacent bottom section when the device is in its closed position, and in the open position of the device slightly overlaps the adjacent edge and the hinged joint of the other bottom section as will be readily apparent from Figure 8.

It has been found through research and experiment that in order for the device to quickly elfectively and with certainty mix and shuffle a deck of cards therein, that the dimensions of the device and proportions and shapes of the parts thereof are very critical and are related to the dimensions of the deck of cards to be handled by the device. Further, these critical dimensions and proportions will probably need to be slightly changed by a fixed amount in order to allow for the specific characteristics of the various types of finish of the cards, such as a plastic or semi-plastic finish, or the standard deck of playing cards; and to allow for the different operating characteristics of different materials of the shuffling device, as when wood, a suitable plastic or the like is employed in its fabrication.

In the devices illustrated herein, the proportions and dimensions are specifically designed to handle and shuffle a canasta deck, this consisting of two full standard packs of playing cards, the device being intended to accommodate such a deck of plastic cards and with the device being of a wooden construction.

As will be apparent from a comparison of Figures 4 and 7, the card receiving space within the walls of the device is less than twice the length of a standard playing card by a distance sufficient to provide the desired amount of overlap after the cards have been interlaced at the completion of the shufiiing operation. Moreover, this space within the walls of the device is considerably greater than the length of a standard playing card.

In the following description regarding the specific construction and operation of the device, it is to be understood that the embodiment specifically adapted to accommodate and shuflle a canasta deck of two standard packs of cards is intended, although the same device can be employed as set forth hereinafter to shuffle a single deck of cards; and the device itself can be made in other sizes so as to initially handle any desired number of standard packs of cards with conversion to other capacities by the adapter inserts as set forth hereinafter.

Referring again more specifically to the drawings, it will be seen that the adjacent inner surfaces of the side walls 16 and 18 of each of the bottom sections 10 is of its narrowest width adjacent the end wall 14, these portions of the inner surfaces of the side walls being designated by the numerals 22 and 24 respectively. This width between the points 22 and 24 is preferably of an inch and this dimension serves to hold the cards in a substantially perpendicular position when the deck has been divided into two sections as shown in Figure 4 and the shufiler opened as shown in Figure with the two sections of the deck disposed each in its end of the device. However, this dimension is sufiicient to permit the two sections of the deck to readily fall without binding into their respective ends of the shufller. From the points 22 and 24, the inside surfaces of the side walls 16 and 18 of each bottom section are smoothly curved as at 26 and 28 to wider and slightly dished or concaved recessed portions 30 and 32 respectively. The width between the portions 30 and 32 is approximately one and nine sixteenths inches which is the necessary width to hold a deck consisting of two packs of playing cards firmly, but without binding, and to permit the deck when placed centrally of the device as shown in Figure 4 to be separated laterally into two sections prior to longitudinal movement of these sections to the opposite ends of the device as shown in Figure 5.

From the recessed portion 32, the inside surface of the longer side wall 18 is then extended with a very slight inwardly extending curved portion 34 and is connected to a further dished or recessed portion 36 which constitutes the deepest recess which the interior of the shuffling device makes in the side walls of the same. From the recess 36, the inner surface of the side wall 18 is then curved inwardly as at 38, at its extremity.

As above mentioned, the opposite sides of the shuffier are of exactly the same relative proportions but are reverse with respect to each other, so that the long wall of one bottom section is opposite the short wall of the same and on the opposite side of the shuffier from the long wall of the other bottom section.

It may be here noted that the vertical height of the various side and end walls of the device is one and three-eighths inches, the overall height of the device is two and one-half inches while the bottom 10 of the same is one and one-eighth inches in height.

The overall inside length of the device between the end walls 14 is six and five-sixteenths inches while the distance between the points 28 and 30 of the side walls 16 and 18 upon one side of the device is three and threequarter inches, which is one-quarter of an inch longer than the standard playing card and thus permits a double deck of cards to be placed in the shufiler with ease.

The distance from the end wall 14 to the points 36 and 30 of the side walls of the other bottom section 10 is three and five-sixteenths inches, which is threesixteenths of an inch less than the length of a card. The points 36 on each of the longer side walls 18 are indented approximately one-sixteenth of an inch so as to provide a clearance holding the cards away from the wall at that point to permit cards from the opposite end of the device to interlace when the shufiler is operated. The distance from the end wall of one bottom section to the point 30 on the short wall of the other bottom section is four and three-eighths inches, this length being necessary to guide the cards together as they are interlaced in the operation of Figure 6.

As hereinbefore intimated, the hinge 12 is recessed upwardly from the lower surface of the bottom walls 10. For this purpose the adjacent portions of-the undersurface of the bottom sections are provided with chambers or recesses 40 extending upwardly therein and having horizontal mounting surfaces 42 which are parallel to the upper surface of the bottom section 10. The hinge leaves are secured to these mounting surfaces as by screws or the like 44 or in any other desired manner. The recesses 42 leave side walls 46 which have their adjacent edges bevelled as at 48 so that the same may be abutted against each other as clearly indicated in Figure 8 and thus constitutes stop surfaces which limit the opening movement of the hinged bottom sections 10. The position of the hinge between the top and bottom surfaces of the bottom sections together with the angular bevel 48 is critical for the purposes of this invention. Thus, the hinge 12 is positioned three-quarters of an inch below the top surface of the bottom sections 10, or at about three-eighths of an inch above the bottom surface of the same.

The functions of these critical proportions and dimensions together with the operation of the shuffler will now be understood from a consideration of the successive steps of the operation illustrated in Figures 4-7. canasta deck is placed between the side walls of the box in the center thereof, with the box in a closed position as shown in Figure 4, and the user divides the deck into two substantially equal packs, holding these sections against the opposite sides of the box in the manner illustrated. Next, while the user holds the two sections of the deck separated, the shufiler is folded about its hinge 12 into its open position, this being the position shown in Figure 1, and the two sections of the deck are moved to opposite ends of the shuffier and rested against the end walls as shown in Figure 5. It is important and highly desirable that when the sections of the deck are moved into the position of Figure 5 that the concave faces of the normally slightly flexed cards, that is their playing faces, shall be placed downwardly as shown in Figure 4. By virtue of the recessing of the hinge 12 from the top surface of the bottom sections it will be apparent that the opening of the shuffier serves to move the adjacent edges of the bottom sections 10 away from each other as will be clearly apparent in Figures 1 and 5, and this spacing between the bottom sections will position the latter sufi'iciently far apart to permit the two sections of the deck to have their lower and adjacent edges, which extend beyond the ends of the sections, spaced a slight distance from each other, so that the two sections will have their stacked corners positioned for abuttingly engaging each other when the sections are moved toward each other by the closing movement of the shuffier.

With the cards resting upon their playing sides as shown in Figure 5, the bottom sections 10 are moved towards each other, causing the stacked adjacent corners of the two sections to abut each other and thereby slightly compressing the two sections of the deck between the two end walls 14, and causing a further flexing of the deck sections. This flexing pressure causes the cards of the two sections to lift successively from the top of the same, whereby an interlacing action of the corners of the cards will occur as shown in Figure 6 until the entire deck has become interlaced at the corners. Upon completion of the closing movement of the shufiier, the ends of the cards slide between each other until the cards are properly interlaced as shown in Figure 7. The deck may now be grasped at its middle portion or the interlaced portion,

withdrawn from the shufiier, completely closed into a deck ready for dealing.

In the shuifling of the deck, the narrowed width between the side walls adjacent the end walls 14 is essential in preventing the ends of the sections of the deck from spreading when the sections are pressed towards each other in performing the operation shown in Figure 6. The enlarged width at the hinged portion of the device provides the necessary additional clearance to permit the ends of the sections to be flexed and separate to permit the interlacing operation initiated at Figure 6 and completed in Figure 7.

Although the advantages derived from the use of this device are greatest when the same is employed to flex or shufi'le canasta decks or decks of more than two standard packs of playing cards, it will be evident that the device would function to perform the same expeditious and efiicient shufliing of a single pack of cards if the width between the portions 22 and 24 was made proportionately less to accommodate and correspond to the diminished thickness of the sections of the pack to be placed therein. For this purpose, an insert adapter is contemplated which Will serve to reduce the clearance at this point. As shown in Figure 9, the adapter may comprise a block 50 of any suitable material having a finger 52 disposed in parallel relation with the block and resiliently attached thereto as by an integral web 54. The block 50 is three-eighths of an inch square and has the height of one and one-half inches. A pair of such blocks, as shown in Figure 2, are positioned against each of the end walls 14 of the shuflier with the clips embracing the side walls 16 and 18 as shown, the adapter blocks being mounted upon the upper Wall of the shufiier so that the sections of the deck will lie against the bottom wall and below the adapters. It is evident that the adapter inserts may be of any suitable material desired, and that while a simple integral form of construction has been illustrated, that the resilient retaining means 52, 54 may be of any other desired construction, and further any other fastening means could be provided for retaining the adapter inserts in proper position.

It is to be further understood that the invention although previously described as applied to a shuffling device specifically designed for accommodating decks of cards consisting of two standard playing packs, could be constructed in specific sizes to accommodate three or more playing packs. Obviously, the same principles of the adapter insert could be utilized in modifying a shuifier for accommodating three or more packs of cards to ac commodate successively smaller packs. Thus, if the shulfier is properly proportioned to efficiently mix a deck consisting of three standard packs of cards, the adapter inserts of Figure 9 could be employed for reducing the dimensions of this form of shufiier to modify the same to accommodate a deck consisting of two packs.

Moreover, various other sizes of inserts can be employed to reduce the capacity of the shufiier by varying numbers of standard packs of cards. Thus, as shown in Figure 10, an insert adapter similar to Figure 9 but of a difierent dimension is employed, this form of insert consisting of an insert body 56 having a retaining finger 58 secured to the body as by a resilient web 60. This adapter is of the same size as that of Figure 9 except that while the width 62 of the block 56 remains at threeeighths inches, the depth 64 thereof is now increased to three-quarters of an inch, or twice that of the corresponding dimension of the block 50. Obviously therefore this form of adapter when inserted in the same manner as that described in connection with Figure 9, will reduce the clearance at the points 22, 24, by twice the reduction of the adapter of Figure 9, so that the capacity of the shuffler will be reduced by two standard packs of playing cards.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the constructiondand operation of the device will be readily understoo The method of shuttling a deck of playing cards can be very etfectively practiced by the foregoing shuffiing device. However, the method itself is broader than the actual embodiment illustrated, and can obviously be practiced by other forms of shuttling devices. The essential features of the method are the steps of:

(1) Dividing a deck of cards into two substantially equal sections;

(2) Placing these sections in an endwise engagement, with the sections being disposed in the same plane but angulated with respect to each other and with the corner of one section engaged with a corner of another section;

(3) Preventing the opposite ends of the cards of each section from spreading while applying pressure on the two sections towards each other upon the abutting edges of the corners of the two sections;

(4) Supporting the bottom edges of the two sections upon relatively inclined planes while the pressure urging the sections towards each other is applied;

(5) Permitting movement of the abutting and compressed corners of the cards laterally of the supporting surfaces during this pressure so that successive cards, one from each section will move laterally from the sections and be interlaced with each other during this movement;

(6) Pressing the interlaced cards of the two sections together to complete the deck.

It will be evident that this method while carrying out the same series and sequence of operation set forth in connection with the shuffling device, can be performed without the specific structure of the device, since obviously carrying out this method the actual structure of the end walls, one of the side walls 16, 18, and the hinged construction 12 would not be necessary.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction and operation of the device and the operation of the method together with the numerous advantages arising therefrom will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, but all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to falling within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A card shuifiing device comprising a box-like case having bottom wall sections transversely hinged for pivoting movement, an upstanding end wall and a pair of upstanding side walls on each bottom wall section, the side walls on each bottom Wall section being relatively closely spaced to confine the end of a section of a deck of cards therein, one side wall of each section being aligned with each other and supporting the sections of a deck in spaced endwise alignment, said bottom wall sections being each of less length than a card whereby upon pivotal closing of said bottom wall sections the cards of a pair of sections of a deck will have their adjacent ends interlaced, said side walls of the bottom Wall sections being aligned with each other, the side walls of each section being curved towards each other at their outer ends to confine the outer ends of a section of a deck of cards against relative lateral movement, the side walls being curved away from each other at the midportion of the device to provide space for receiving the interlaced ends of cards of the two sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 205,030 Ash June 18, 1878 750,216 Newington Jan. 19, 1904 1,434,034 Aegerter et al. Oct. 31, 1922 1,569,277 Gunzelman et al. Jan. 12, 1926 1,709,469 Franks et a1. Apr. 16, 1929 2,208,459 Krueger July 16, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 154,971 Germany Oct. 5, 1904 379,483 Great Britain Sept. 1, 1932 

